The moment Gu Chen’s livestream went live, the comment feed erupted.
“Let’s feast, boys!”
“Huh? Why isn’t the streamer turning on his camera?”
“Came here from a Lingdong Net video. That Substitute-Protect-Toxic strategy is absolutely diabolical!”
Gu Chen read the comments aloud as he launched a new game of Shenqi: Battle.
“‘Why isn’t the streamer turning on his camera?’ I need to hit 100,000 subscribers before I do a face reveal.”
A torrent of question marks flooded the screen.
What kind of streamer was this?
“Ten-year fan here! Teacher Gu is definitely a handsome one!”
“Seriously? Is anyone actually here for Teacher Gu’s looks? No way, right?”
“There’s a screen recording of Teacher Gu on Tieba. He was on camera for less than five seconds, but he’s definitely heartthrob-level!”
“Heartthrob is an exaggeration. I’m just an average guy… maybe just shy of movie-star level.” Gu Chen deadpanned, his face a perfect mask of sincerity.
“Thanks to ‘When’s Teacher Gu’s New Movie Coming Out’ for the plane… Soon. I just need to discuss the script with Han Ying.”
“Thanks to ‘Teacher Gu and Sibi Yuan BFFs’ for the ten membership cards… but let’s not talk about Sibi Yuan today.”
“Today, we’re continuing our Shenqi battle tutorial.”
The comment feed instantly found a new, unified purpose.
“Streamer, do a Substitute-Protect-Toxic tutorial!”
“My starter just happens to be a Qingwa Zhongzi! Please teach us the details!”
Gu Chen’s eyes scanned the comments.
“Thanks to ‘How to Substitute-Protect-Toxic with Qingwa Zhongzi’ for the plane.”
“If you can afford one of the big three as a starter, evolving it into a Miaowa Hua shouldn’t be a problem… Let’s go over Miaowa Hua’s tactical role.”
Gu Chen opened the team editor and dragged Miaowa Hua into his lineup.
“Miaowa Hua has a lot of versatile strategies. On a Sunny Day team, for instance, it can use Chlorophyll to boost its speed and act as a sweeper.”
“Or, using Substitute-Protect-Toxic as a foundation, you can add Synthesis and Leech Seed to maximize its time on the field.”
“Enough theory. Let’s jump into a match and I’ll show you how it’s done.”
As he entered the queue, Gu Chen was matched with an international player from the Guanxi Alliance whose ID was “Billiard Boy in the Wind.”
“Konnichiwa,” Gu Chen greeted in Japanese, selecting Miaowa Hua with a friendly nod.
The opponent led with a Typhlosion nicknamed “Blast Taro.”
In Zhenxin Town, Guandong Region…
A girl with an orange ponytail patted her flushed cheeks, taking a steadying breath.
“It’s fine,” she told herself. “We’re just watching a movie together… He won’t think anything of it…”
Mustering her courage, Chang Qing nervously rang the doorbell. A moment later, a boy’s voice crackled through the intercom.
“Oh, it’s you,” Ye Cheng said, his voice warm with a smile. “The door’s unlocked. Just come on up to the second floor.”
Going… inside Ye Cheng’s house?
Qing felt the heat in her cheeks intensify, but her curiosity was piqued. At this hour, shouldn’t he be training?
She hesitantly pushed the door open. Suddenly, a small, yellow figure leaped down from the second-floor landing, landing squarely in her arms.
“Shentan, long time no see.” Qing smiled, stroking the Shenqi’s soft fur.
Shentan chirped happily before hopping down, skillfully scrambling up the wall beside the stairs.
Looking up, Qing’s face flushed again. A young man with short black hair and determined eyes caught Shentan in one smooth motion, setting the Shenqi on his shoulder with a grin.
“Xiao Qing, I found a really interesting Xunlianjia today!”
The room was clean and organized, a shelf packed with trophies the only real decoration. The furnishings were spartan—just a bed and a computer desk.
“Take a seat anywhere!”
Ye Cheng then realized he was sitting in the only chair. He scratched his head awkwardly.
“Oh, I’ll just sit on the bed…” Qing whispered, her voice barely audible.
Ye Cheng rubbed the back of his neck, then his face lit up.
“Oh, Xiao Qing, come look at this!”
Qing leaned over, tucking a stray strand of orange hair behind her ear. “Isn’t this that game you’re always playing?”
“Shenqi: Battle,” Ye Cheng said with a grin. “It’s surprisingly similar to real battles. You use the microphone to give real-time commands. It’s how I unwind when I’m tired from training.”
“Even when you’re resting, all you think about is battling.” Qing’s cheeks colored slightly.
Ye Cheng didn’t seem to notice, his excitement mounting. “Look, you have to check out this guy’s stream!”
“His understanding of Miaowa Hua’s tactics is incredible!”
“There’s no way he could have this level of insight unless he’s a powerful Xunlianjia in real life.”
“Ah, I’d love to battle him, to exchange strategies on raising Miaowa Hua!”
“Haha, Shentan, you want to battle him too, huh?”
Curious, Qing focused on the screen.
It was a classic 6v6 match at the Master Qiu tier. “Did Teacher Gu Have Lunch Today” versus “Billiard Boy in the Wind.”
Since it was an international stream, the platform provided real-time subtitles, allowing both Trainers to understand Gu Chen’s commentary.
“He dares lead with a Typhlosion? ‘Blast Taro’—just you wait until you’re ‘Toxified Taro’!”
Despite the severe type disadvantage, Gu Chen’s Miaowa Hua methodically chipped away at Typhlosion’s health with a combination of Dusu and Baohu.
After Typhlosion fell, Miaowa Hua went on to defeat an Ambipom and a Sunflora in succession.
Throughout the battle, Gu Chen had only used his Miaowa Hua, achieving a clean sweep against three of his opponent’s Shenqi.
A cascade of question marks scrolled through the chat.
“My brain just short-circuited. Did Miaowa Hua just beat a Typhlosion at full health in a type disadvantage matchup?!”
“Teacher Gu has broken the game. My youth is officially over!”
“Stop it! This isn’t Shenqi!”
Qing murmured, “Ye Cheng, that username… could it be…?”
“Yeah, that’s probably Jin Hui,” Ye Cheng coughed. “I remember he loves playing this game too.”
On screen, Miaowa Hua’s Leech Seed vines dug into a Togekiss, steadily siphoning its energy.
Togekiss cried out, flapping its wings to unleash an Air Slash, but the attack dissipated against a shimmering green barrier.
From the stream, Gu Chen’s voice provided calm analysis. “To Baohu, or not to Baohu? See? He’s hesitating, and now he’s tilting.”
“Dusu pairs perfectly with Leech Seed. The damage-over-time is even more effective when they’re stacked.”
The purple hue of poison began to show on Togekiss as the Leech Seed vines relentlessly sapped its strength. Even when it managed to land a hit, the damage was so negligible that Gu Chen simply had Miaowa Hua use Synthesis to recover.
The screen filled with a flood of new comments.
“So this is Substitute-Protect-Toxic? I’m in love!”
“Four KOs! Miaowa Hua has taken down four in a row!”
With a heavy thud, Togekiss fell from the sky.
Meanwhile, Miaowa Hua looked as healthy as ever, already preparing to use Synthesis again for a bit of self-care.
Qing couldn’t help but murmur in admiration, “His timing is just perfect.”
“Right?” Ye Cheng nodded, completely engrossed. “Even Jin Hui doesn’t stand a chance against him.”
While casual viewers were just enjoying the spectacle, seasoned Trainers like Ye Cheng and Qing saw the deeper strategy at play. Shenqi: Battle, with its real-time commands, was a true test of a trainer’s tactical mind.
To them, it was clear that this streamer, “Did Teacher Gu Have Lunch Today,” had serious real-world experience.
Maybe… not even Jin Hui could match him.
“Now you see why I’m not training today,” Ye Cheng said with a grin.
“Watching high-level Trainers is an important part of training, too!”
Qing wanted to tease him—it was just a game, after all.
But even if it was a game, this was undeniably a high-level Shenqi battle.
Her own curiosity now fully sparked, Qing joined Ye Cheng in watching the livestream with rapt attention.